Spain’s Iberia Airlines has been fined £22k for asking wannabe flight attendants to take pregnancy tests

Spain's flag carrier airline has been hit with the fine after an investigation into labour discrimination

By Dan Elsom

10th July 2017,11:44 am

Updated: 10th July 2017,4:33 pm

A SPANISH airline has been slapped with a £22,130 fine after it was found to have forced women applying for flight attendant positions to take a pregnancy test.

Iberia Airlines was given the sanction by the Ministry of Labour of the Balearic Islands, and has since said it will remove the condition from its application process for aspiring cabin crew, and allow individuals to choose whether they inform the airline if they are expecting.

The incident comes just two weeks after Iberia celebrated their 90th anniversary

“In keeping with international aviation regulations, female cabin staff are relieved of flying duties as soon as their pregnancies are known.”

Iberia’s Workplace Health and Safety Officer, Dr. Maria Teresa Garcia Menéndez, said: “Given the controversy arising from the current protocol in place to protect pregnant women, we will no longer include a pregnancy test in the medical examination for new hires.

“However, we will continue to use all necessary means to ensure the safety and rights of pregnant employees, as we have always done.”

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But the Ministry of Labour confirmed sanctions this week after rejecting the airline’s excuses.

In the UK, women are not required to tell an employer that they are pregnant until the end of the 15th week before the baby is due.

Spain’s flagship carrier airline still has the opportunity to appeal the decision with the Ministry if they so wish.

Late last month, Iberia found themselves in the middle of a landmark court ruling, when UK judge ordered the Spanish air operator refund a passenger the cost of his return journey after they automatically cancelled it, because he failed to check in on his first flight.

Carriers regularly cancel both legs of a trip if passengers miss the first one, but the new ruling by the Mayor’s and City of London Court could see an end to the practice, which often leaves passengers paying through the nose for another flight.

The ruling comes from a court case brought by barrister James Dove after Iberia cancelled the return leg of his flight from London to Madrid.